A photo of a patient lying on the floor in the A&E department at Paphos hospital because of a lack of beds prompted government health services Okypy on Saturday to call for calm.
Staff in A&E departments “make superhuman efforts every day to serve each patient 24/7, observing their medical duty with dedication,” an Okypy statement added.
After the photo did the rounds on social media, Okypy acknowledged there is a lack of beds but clarified that the patient and his escort were advised to sit or lie temporarily on a sofa inside A&E until a bed became available for him to be examined on, which they rejected, demanding that the patient be examined immediately.
“The citizen came to A&E at 10:27 and registered. After being screened, he was assessed as a category 3 case, ie. a non-life-threatening situation,” it said, adding that “beds at the time were occupied with more urgent cases (including a nine-day-old infant with cerebral haemorrhage and woman with epidural hematoma).”
According to Sigmalive the pensioner went to the hospital for a routine visit but while waiting to be seen began to feel unwell so went to the A&E department.
The patient in question was “given the opportunity to sit until he was seen”, Okypy said.
Although the man and the person accompanying him demanded to be seen immediately, “staff, despite the difficult situation that prevailed, maintained their composure,” it added.
“At 11:32 (after 1 hour and five minutes), as soon as a bed was empty, the patient was examined by a doctor, all the required laboratory tests were performed, he received the appropriate medication and was discharged,” Okypy said.
“Especially during a period of overcrowding like the one we are going through now, we appeal for patience and composure from everyone. We urge the public to follow the instructions of our staff,” it added.
A&E departments all over Cyprus have recorded increased attendance in the recent days due to the severe heatwave gripping the country, according to state health services (Okypy) spokesperson Charalambos Charlilaou said on Wednesday.
Staff at these departments, Okypy said, “make superhuman efforts every day to serve each patient 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, adhering to medical duty.
“Due to the increased number of visitors to the Emergency Departments, we urge the public, in emergencies without immediate danger of life, to contact first their personal doctors and on-call clinics,” Okypy concluded.